GP2 Monza qualifying press conference

GP2 press release

Pic, Filippi and Leimer discuss the session

GP2 Series: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the press conference for today's qualifying session here in Monza. Joining us today we have Charles Pic from Team Addax on pole, Luca Filippi from Scuderia Coloni in second, and Fabio Leimer from Rapax in third place. Congratulations on your third pole of year Charles: I guess it comes at a good time for you...

Charles Pic: Yeah, for sure. It was a great day this morning, although we were still missing some tenths, but we made a good job for qualy and found a good solution: the car was good and I found a good lap. It was not easy: in the session there were many yellow flags and traffic, but I found a good lap and made it. It was great, and now we have to focus on tomorrow as I think the race will be long: it will be hot and we are on the hard compound, so I think there will be some degradation. We have to think about this, and make the right decision for tomorrow.

GP2 Series: How hard is it to get a clear lap here? It's a very fast circuit, you're all going for it, but you're on pole while your teammate is in P19...

It was not easy: in the session there were many yellow flags and traffic, but I found a good lap and made it.

Charles Pic

Charles: I think especially for this qualifying it was the key, to find the clear lap: on the second run it was yellow flags every lap because of some crash, and if you don't have crashes you have more opportunity to do your lap time. But on this one I think the opportunity was, for me, in the first run, so I just took it.

GP2 Series: You're one of the guys in the fight for runner-up in the championship, including Luca: what is more important for you, second in the championship or the win tomorrow?

Charles: For me, the win tomorrow, because it's my objective: second in the championship I cannot manage it, so we will see – the win tomorrow is something that I can manage, so we will see. We will do everything for it, and see after.

GP2 Series: Can you do it?

Charles: The win tomorrow? Of course, of course! We will work hard, and hope it will not be the same as the Nurburgring! (laughs)

GP2 Series: Great job today. Luca, congratulations on your fourth P2 in a row in qualifying: what do you have to do to get pole?

Luca Filippi: Try one more, I don't know! (laughs) It's okay, for the first time to be second I was a little bit disappointed with myself because I had the chance to improve my lap but I made a mistake in the last corner, so this time I had everything in my hands and I couldn't take it. But it's okay, it's something that nobody expected for me to be four times on the front row, so it's very good: in Monza it's good for the Italian fans coming tomorrow to see an Italian flag in the front row, fighting for the win, and it's very important for me because at the end of day we are here to make a show and make our fans happy.

GP2 Series: I'll ask the same question I asked Charles: which is more important to you, second in the championship or the win tomorrow?

Luca Filippi

Photo by: GP2 Media Service

Luca: Actually those 2 points he got today were very important for me as well, so I'm in a position where I need to win tomorrow to aim for second place, because you never know: Giedo and Jules are at the back but they can see what happens, they could do a strange strategy, and in Monza you can overtake, so if they have a good pace they could finish in the top eight, so I have to make as many points as possible tomorrow. Actually today I had a very good pace, in practice and in qualy, so I'm always very motivated and positive.

GP2 Series: And it's your home circuit, so it would be nice to get the win here for your fans.

Luca: Yes! In GP2 I have never got a win here: I've got some second places, so it would be very nice for me and the team. Monza is very special for me, and I will really try and get the best out of me tomorrow.

GP2 Series: With all of your experience here, how were the tyres today?

Luca: So far it's a little bit of a question mark, because the drop is not so deep and not so critical as it is in other places, but it's hard to say if the drop is going to be worse and worse in the race, or it's going to be quite consistent for a Monza race. So far what we will do for those at the front is to stay out as long as possible to make the safe strategy, and obviously if we can have a good pace and not fight too much at the beginning, make a big gap and secure the place then it's time to fight.

GP2 Series: We'll look forward to it. Fabio, congratulations on P3 today, and it's good to see you back in the press conference. How was your job inside the car today?

Fabio Leimer: Yeah, it's been a really hard year for me, and we've had a lot of really disappointing weekends, but finally in the last weekend we have been quick, and I was quick already in the free practice. My aim for today was to make pole position, and like Luca I also had it in my hands: I was really quick until I went to the last corner and made a big mistake, got a big oversteer and lost so much time. But in the end I can be happy: the year wasn't like I wanted but I think I can be happy about this third place, and the aim for tomorrow is to win the race. I will try my best.

Fabio Leimer

Photo by: GP2 Media Service

GP2 Series: You've been fast here all day: what do you put that down to?

Fabio: Yeah, it's really difficult to say because sometimes you're quick on the track, sometimes not, and sometimes you don't even know exactly why. I think the team did a very good job because after Spa I had a very big crash, and they fixed the car in a week and put a 100% good car together. Now you can see I did a very good free practice and a very good qualy, so I have a very big thank you for the team. But it's very hard to say because now it's working with the hard compound tyre: we are quick, like in Barcelona, and we have to see tomorrow how the Pirelli's take a long race.

GP2 Series: These two guys really need points tomorrow, you're not in that position: does this give you a big advantage for the fight for the win?

Fabio: I don't know, because like Luca and Charles said they also want to win the race: for me it's the same, but for me I don't care about the championship, I only care about the race and the weekend, so I will try my best and push until the end for the victory.